The Image staff muses on the culture of keeping up appearances

Toms goes barefoot on the beach to mark One Day Without Shoes

Toms Shoes, the company that donates one pair of shoes to needy children around the globe for every pair of shoes they sell, asked friends to go barefoot on the beach to raise awareness for the cause.

On Thursday, Toms founder Blake Mycoskie left his slip-ons at home to mark the third year of One Day Without Shoes and asked friends, including actresses Olivia Wilde ("House") and Julia Jones ("The Twilight Saga: Eclipse"), to shed their heels at Axe restaurant and walk down Abbot Kinney to his sister Paige's Aviator Nation boutique. The point is to drive home the message of what it would be like to spend a day barefoot as many people around the world do when they lack the means to purchase a pair.

According to Toms' website, more than a quarter of a million people participated in 1,600 One Day Without Shoes events around the world, including the one here.

Mycoskie had biked to the office that morning wearing no shoes and had cut his foot within the first 45 minutes. "One Day without Shoes is to realize the importance of going without," he said.

"It feels great to go without shoes, but it's only for a day," said Wilde, who's about to start shooting "Cowboys and Aliens" with Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. "It's a brilliant way to raise awareness of children in developing countries and put yourself in someone's shoes for a few hours."